“Saving Face” Reunion

…haven’t been with ALL of my “Saving Face” family in so long!!! Here we are at Sundance 2005. Notice how we’re sitting in the same positions? (I swear that wasn’t planned.)

Yes, there is a movie called “Saving Face” that just won an Oscar this past year, about women who are victims of acid attack. The one we made was a little bit different.

I see Alice on a pretty regular basis…

…but I haven’t had face time with Joan in FOREVER….not since I took her to the flagship WeHo Pinkberry (right before it became a froyo phenomenon) which should give you a sense of how much time has passed.

We started off with an early evening press conference…

…followed by the screening/Q&A….

…it was quite emotional – I actually cried all my eye makeup off! Many of us hadn’t seen the film in years – and agreed this was the first time we could watch it as real audience members, rather than analyzing/scrutinizing our work.

And my God, it truly is an amazing, beautiful movie – I’m not just saying that because I’m biased!!! If you haven’t seen it, you can buy it pretty much anywhere.

Signed many of these – special postcards the festival made – it’s a line I say in the film, but I’m not sure if that’s my eye?!?

Overwhelmed with the audience response! SO SORRY we couldn’t stick around and take photos with everyone who was waiting…I still feel horrible. There were dinner plans across the street….

Truly a mom-n-pop place. The owner is also the chef (and is adorable) but this isn’t a great place for groups, or if you’re a little rushed (like we were). All our dishes came out at different times, starting with Abe’s Agedashi Tofu, which I sampled…

…also tried a bite of Joan’s Tofu, Mushroom, and Spinach Rice Gratin…

…and Alice’s Chicken Katsu with fried egg.

My own order (Curry over Sauteed Pasta) was enormous!

Wound up eating pretty much all the tofu/veggie/sauce part…

…and a bunch of the noodles; though it looks like I barely made a dent in what’s leftover:

If you’ve seen “Saving Face,” you know just how much food was eaten in the movie – everything from hot dogs and Chinese food to cupcakes and fried chicken. So grubbing with this group brought back a lot of great memories….

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20 thoughts on ““Saving Face” Reunion”

The food in this entry looks delicious, but the real reason I’m leaving a comment is to say how much I love “Saving Face.” As an Asian-American lesbian, I thought this movie was extremely important for our visibility. I even made my parents watch it lol Plus, it was such a cute story and I just wanted to give big hugs to all the characters. Lynn, you were so great in it! As was everyone else 😀

Michelle introduced me to you! 🙂 It was nice meeting you, Alice, and Joan although it was so brief! I managed to even snag Joan’s autograph as she was being whisked away after the Q&A.

Many fans were disappointed that everyone left so early, so maybe at the 10 year reunion (if there is one) everyone can stay a little longer after. 🙂

My friend and I were eating at On The Bridge too and I saw you and the ladies of Saving Face as we were leaving, but we didn’t want to disturb. Weeknights On The Bridge isn’t great–only 1 waitress, but service on the weekends and lunch hours are a lot better w/2 waitresses. Sometimes the owner’s wife and daughters help out too.

Wow… just a beautiful and emotional reunion!!! All of you look great back then but now you look even better!!!!
And I will keep saying that Saving Face it’s a great movie, full of details that brings so much to the history… and the music… wow !!
Every one of you, give a special spark to the movie…

Great that you all got back together again and you were able to see Saving Face the way the rest of us have. It is a rare gem. One of those wonderfully universal films that virtually anyone and everyone can relate to in some way. Hope Alice continues making more films. We could use more of her vision and talent.

It was so lovely to see this wonderful film again, and such a privilege to see it with you, Michelle, Joan & Alice. Your comments and reactions during the Q&A were so tender and genuine. It was truly an honor to be there for the special reunion screening. Thank you for the opportunity to share that experience with you, and of course thank you for that remarkable work of art! <3

I just watched Saving Face recently for my film class, and I enjoyed every second of it! It’s awesome to see you all reunited again. And that restaurant is in SF Japantown, right? I’ve ben there and it’s definitely delicious. 🙂

saving face is my favorite movie of all time. i always found lesbian movies to be dark and brooding but i was delighted to have stumbled upon this film a few years back (2009, i think). it’s funny, heartwarming and makes you hungry while watching (with all that food in the movie). love that scene by the vending machine.

It was the 8-year-anniversary of the film and this year it’s the 10th anniversary! It’s a truly beautiful and touching movie that stands the test of time. Thank you for everyone in the team for making this story poignant and vivid. Thank you for making Vivian Shing a sweet, confident, and sexy character with a beautiful soul!